The massive bears clashed against each other with immense ferocity. The Laws of the world had transformed them into Monsters, capable of harnessing energy into their flesh and blood. However, this new power only increased their ferocity and territorial behavior.
Although they lacked wisdom, the bears were smart enough to stop their fight when they saw a figure walking toward them. The man was barely two meters tall, and each bear was over three times larger, yet they couldn’t help but feel immense pressure as they watched him approach.
The monsters glanced at each other, seemingly reaching a silent agreement to focus on the intruder before dealing with their own issues. It was a smart move on their part, but hardly enough.
Vlad’s body burst with bloodline power as he activated Lightning Charge. He moved nearly two hundred meters with a single step, appearing right in front of both monsters. His hands moved like lightning, a sword piercing the chest of the massive bear on his right, instantly taking its life!
"ROAR!" The second Monster was shocked by the human’s power, but its instincts kicked in as it sent its massive claws down with all its might.
"BOOM!" The power behind the claws was terrific, generating a small kinetic blast, yet the Monster was not too happy since there was no sign of the humanoid. It looked around, trying to see where he had gone, when suddenly it felt a sharp pain at the back of its skull.
That pain was the last thing the Monster felt before it fell to the ground. Vlad stood on top of it and carefully withdrew his blade from the bear’s brain before stepping down.
Vlad glanced at both bears with a calm smile. He did not feel bad about taking the lives of these monsters, but neither did he find joy in their pain, which was why he made sure his attacks were fast and precise.
Monsters were part of the world, a component of the natural circle of life. Humans could hunt them; as long as they understood, they could easily become the prey.
"Time to eat," Vlad said to the young woman and small cat approaching him as he took a small dagger and began to prepare the bodies. He was very skilled in separating the meat from the rest of the body.
It didn’t take long for the trio to sit before a small fire, waiting for the meal to be ready. They were silent until the small yellow cat turned toward Freya with an inquisitive gaze.
"Freya, you are supposed to be a princess in Valhalla. Is it fair to assume that your father is a King?" Jormungandr had always been interested in the culture of Valhalla, but there had never been time to ask about it. Whenever he and Freya were together, they were either in great danger or intensely focused on training, but this journey was bound to be long, so they were very calm.
Vlad was also very interested in the culture of Valhalla, so he turned toward the young woman, his eyes full of curiosity.
Freya felt the gaze of the duo and remained silent for a moment before speaking. "There are indeed Kings in Valhalla, all of them extremely powerful entities capable of massive domains of power, but my family does not belong to one of them. I was born as a commoner."
Vlad and Jormungandr could not help but grow more intrigued by the young woman’s words, wondering how someone could go from commoner to princess in a powerful realm like Valhalla.
Freya noticed the duo’s interest and smiled as she continued, "My status changed when I performed my first sacrifice. I was lucky enough to obtain the grace of Odinvaldr, and the totems engraved in my body are of the Legendary Tier. In the Totem Strength System, I will face no bottleneck or hindrance until I reach the Legendary Tier."
Shock and awe appeared on the faces of Jormungandr and Vlad as they heard that and gazed at the totems on Freya’s body with wonder. They were Depravitas, and their talent was nothing short of miraculous, but they did not dare to say they had an open path to the Legendary Realm. Right now, their potential would allow them to become Guardians, but if they did not keep improving their Depravita Path, that would most likely be the limit of their bodies and energy pools.
At this point, Freya paused and stared at Vlad before continuing. "Normally, those like me who rose to Royal Status due to the grace of Odinvaldr are offered all sorts of marriage proposals to bind our blood. I was also proposed by the son of a powerful King, and promised all sorts of advantages and treasures."
Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he heard those words, his face slowly growing emotionless as he spoke, "Oh, and what was your answer if I might learn?"
"I refused. I have no desire to become a breeding tool, nor will I accept being caged like a porcelain doll." A fierce and resolute aura emerged from Freya as she uttered those words, her eyes full of pride. "That was why I made a deal with a different Royal Family for the chance to participate in the rise of a New Plane."
Immediately, emotion returned to Vlad’s face, and a broad smile arose as he nodded before asking in a calm tone, "By the way, what is the name of the Royal Family that proposed marriage to you?"
Freya could not help but glance at Vlad’s smile, sensing a monstrous coldness hidden in it. He was not alone, as the small yellow cat by his side was also waiting for the name, doing a much worse job hiding his killing intent. In the end, she just shook her head and smiled. "They are the Baldur Royal Family."
"Baldur Royal Family, interesting, very interesting." Vlad softly nodded as he uttered the name, seemingly carving it into his mind.